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Press Release 04/27/2021 Committee for Short Shorts Committee for Short Shorts Asia Academy Awards® Accredited & One of Asia’s Biggest Film Festivals Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021 Announcing More Than 500 Nominees & Special Screenings of short films from around the world Online Screening Venue & 3D Space Theater “DOOR” Open Today! Short film shot entirely on a smartphone “Stardust Children” has its world premiere! We are pleased to announce the nominees and special screenings for the Short Shorts Film Festival &Asia (SSFF & ASIA) 2021, Asia’s one of the largest international short film festivals, officially announced today on the festival's official website. https://www.shortshorts.org/2021/index-en.php This year's festival will be held from Fri, 06/11 to Mon, 06/21, and online venues begin on Tues, 04/27. With the theme "CINEMADventure,“ more than 500 short films from around the world will be screened. The addition of new competitions such as the Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony and the Vertical Theater Competition supported by smash. give a sense of adventure. We will present a hybrid of live and online screenings unique to SSFF & ASIA ; such as Q&A in a virtual venue to connect with directors who cannot come to Japan due to the corona pandemic. VENTURE-like efforts such as exploring the appeal of short films using AI systems, and the world of AD that opens up new aspects of short films. The special screenings from around the world include “David,” which was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival & stars Will Ferrell ("Blades of Glory") and Ben Whishaw ("Perfume") in “Miss Fortunate.” Kim Bora's (“House of Hummingbird”) 'The Recorder Exam' and Werner Herzog's 1986 documentary “Portrait Werner Herzog .” From Japan, special screenings of “Wish on a cocktail ” starring Jun Kunimura, and "The Supermission" starring Mariko Tsutsui. In addition to "in-side-out" directed by Mirai Moriyama and starring Eita Nagayama from WOWOW Actors Short Film, the Japan category also includes "The Woman Who Performs", directed by Toshiyuki Teruya (Gori) and starring Hikari Mitsushima. The online theater opening today, around 40 past film festival nominees by Japanese directors will be screened globally. The short film “Stardust Children,” a film shot entirely on a smartphone by Director Eiji Uchida (“Midnight Swan”) , will have its world premiere. Several awards will be announced in advance for the film festival and at the Opening Ceremony on Fri, 06/11. The Official Competition supported by Sony Best Short Awards and the Grand Prix, the “George Lucas Award” will be announced at the awards ceremony on Mon, 06/21. International Competition International Competition Asia & Japan Competition Special Screening (only in Japan) Special Screening (only in Japan) Special Screening (only in Japan) 『David』 Zachary Woods 『Miss Fortunate』 Ella Jones 『The Recorder Exam』 Kim Bo-ra Online Venue Opening Japan Competition Japan Competition Global Screening Global Screening Global Screening 『Stardust Children』 Eiji Uchida 『in-side-out』 Mirai Moriyama 『A Woman Who Acts』 Teruyuki Toshiya Message from President of SSFF & ASIA Tetsuya Bessho One year has passed since the global pandemic began. Even with the rapid changes in our society, daily life, and values, we received about the same number of submissions as we have in recent years. The filmmakers were continuing to make short films despite the hardships & difficulties. Cities under lockdown, dramas filmed in one room, editing a film with footage from remote shootings, and the sense of isolation & solitude. As we looked at the work, we could see the "CINEMA" created during the pandemic as only short films can and we received the heartfelt messages of the filmmakers loud & clear. I would like the film festival to be a place of "ADVENTURE" where we can experience and share together the world as it is NOW as a the place that shows the possibilities of new images with online and virtual venues, shooting and editing with smartphones, and vertical images as "VENTURE = new challenges," as well as opportunities for art and culture to play an active role in society by creating new communication methods as "AD = advertisements" through short films that have drawn the attention of companies and organizations. We are excited to bring to you our "CINEMADventure" film festival. Message from Ambassador of SSFF & ASIA LiLiCo I hope that new creators and lovers of feature-length films will once agan dive into the world of short films this year. In these trying times, more people are making films & visual content. I look forward to being dazzled again by innovative ideas and the appeal of short films where you can experience the culture and aromas of various countries and regions.No limites or rules except for the running time! Expand your senses stimulate your mind through short films. I'm very excited again this year♡ & jewelry. SSFF & ASIA 2021 Official Social Media Navigators : Recommending the best short films Social Media influencers will introduce reviews & recommendations of short films from around the world as official festival navigators! Top from left: Cinemanshon (YouTube) / Short of the Week / (Twitter, Facebook) / Shinnosuke Saito (TikTok) Bottom from left: DIZ (Twitter) / Rina Matsuki (Instagram) / Mocchan (YouTube) / Yucco Roadshow (YouTube) Start Tuesday, April 27! SSFF & ASIA 2021 Online Venue This year's online venues will feature (1) Grand Online Theater released worldwide, (2) 3D Venue “DOOR” Theater supported by NTT, (3) Vertical Theater supported by smash. Details on each event will be announced in press releases or on Online Screening Schedule the festival website. Starts from Tues, 04/27 Global Streaming (1) Ikimonogakari × Eiji Uchida - World premiere of “Stardust Children" Online (2) 38 Japan Competition nominated shorts from the past 3 years including Best Short winners (3) 3D Venue “DOOR” Theater supported by NTT Door will screen award-winning shorts including past Grand Prix winners. Director Eiji Uchida of "Midnight Swan, (1) Online Theater Opening Film “Original concept :Ikimonogakari "Kirakira ni Hikaru." Filmed entirely on Xperia ™ smartphone. 『Stardust Children』 Director: Eiji Uchida /Japan / 24:00 / SF・Fantasy Themed on the song “Kirakira ni Hikaru” by Ikimonogakari & submitted to monogatary.com the story is based on the winning submission “Stardust Children” (Hoshikuzu no Ko)”. Maruta is driven out of his land after he is considered to be cursed. After wandering through the forest, he encounters a stardust children who are righteous & pure. Maruta befriends Senebu & Bella & the children but as the Star festival approaches… (2) Japan Competition nominated shorts from the past 3 years 2018-2020 Japan Best Short Award winners: from left - "The Ancestor", "My Little Goat," "Green Snow." (3) 3D Venue “DOOR” Theater supported by NTT For the first time in the 23-year history of the festival, a 3D Venue for the film festival will be set up in an online 3D space (in NTT DOOR), as a venue for creators and movie fans around the world to interact virtually. The screening content includes past Grand Prix winners. We will hold interactive teach-ins with award-winning directors from around the world. Will be held everyday during the festival! https://www.shortshorts.org/2021/en/special-content-6/ ●Tue, May 11th Ladies for Cinema Project : Global streaming starts ●Mon, May 31st Cinematic Tokyo Competition nominees: Global streaming starts ●Tue, June 1st Vertical Theater Competition supported by smash. nominees: Global streaming from smash. starts ●Tue, June 8th KIDS Program & U-25 Project: Global streaming starts ●Fri, June 11th Opening Ceremony : Live Global streaming Official Competition supported by Sony, Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony, CG Animation Competition, Non-Fiction Competition, Shibuya Diversity Program and more: Global streaming starts ●Tue, June 15th Discover Beauty Symposium : Global Streaming ●Mon, June 21st Award Ceremony: Liver Global streaming Award winning shorts will be streamed at online venue till Wed, June 30th. Tokyo × Short Shorts PROJECT In 2016, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched a project in collaboration with SSFF & ASIA as a project to show the allure of Tokyo to attract people from Japan and overseas to visit Tokyo. We established the "Cinematic Tokyo Competition," calling for short films with Tokyo as the central theme from all over the world. At the 2021 Film Festival, we will continue to screen and select the Best Short Award (Governor's Award) from the Cinematic Tokyo Competition and will hold seminars to support Japanese creators. This year, we welcome Yoshitaka Mori, the film director of "Space Brothers," as guest and will hold an online seminar with the theme "The World of Cinema & Movie Music - the Key to Filmmaking." Cinematic Tokyo Competition 「Farewell Tokyo」 Global Streaming Director:Ben Wang Online & China / Japan /13:28 / Documentary / Tokyo 2021 A Chinese who came to Tokyo to study have many memories in this city. However, they are forced to return home due to the Coronavirus. What are the special memories and hopes on that return trip…? ONLINE CREATOR’S SEMINAR: “The World of Cinema & Movie Music - the Key to Filmmaking." Director Yoshitaka Mori of "Space Brothers", "Satoshi no Seishun" & "108" will be a guest for a seminar. Looking back on the director's career, he’ll speak to the effect that music has in his filmmaking as well as advising young filmmakers about the importance of music in improving on the quality of their films. Director Mori Yoshitaka Profile: Born in 1979. After working on TV documentaries, he made his film debut as director in 2008 with "108." For this work, he won the Shindo Kaneto Silver Award & the Yokohama Film Festival New Director Award. In 2012, he won the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Grand Prix & Audience Award for "Space Brothers". In 2016, he won many awards, including the Takasaki Film Festival's Best Director Award, for "Satoshi no Seishun".